Harbour Street trial for holidays
Published on 08 April 2024
A one-week trial of pedestrianising Harbour Street during the upcoming school holidays was approved by Waitaki District Council at the meeting on Tuesday 26 March.
This will be the first time that Harbour Street has had vehicle traffic temporarily diverted for an entire week, essentially creating a historic ‘pedestrian mall’, similar to the daytime traffic restrictions when the bollards are up during the summer weekends.
The trial, between 9am on Saturday 20 April and 5pm on Sunday 28 April, will follow one week of the street being open as normal for the first week of the holidays. This will allow a true comparison of the effects of pedestrianisation against retaining the current through traffic and parking.
The application for this trial was made by businesses on Harbour Street, who consulted with other businesses and found a majority supported a trial closure of the street to traffic during the holidays. There is no cost to Council or ratepayers, for this trial to occur.
Roading Manager Kushla Tapper says: “Making Harbour Street a more pedestrian and business-friendly zone, has been something that has been talked about for some time, especially during holiday periods. This is a community led initiative, and Council is happy to support them in this trial. With one week on and one week off, we can get a good picture of what works and what doesn’t, to support good decisions being made in the future, enabling communities to do what works for them.”
Local cartoonist Brent Harpur says: “I work with children and young people in my shop and, so many times I have witnessed my students nearly be struck by vehicles as they arrive and leave my classes. I would like to see the Harbour St closed to traffic"
Dawn Brown of Presence on Harbour says: "I think this is a great idea, it can be very dangerous on the corner of Harbour St when it is the school holidays and the period pre-Christmas to Easter"
Stacey Pine of The Movement Hub says: “We have several clients with movement and mobility issues, as well as family members in wheelchairs or on walking frames. Having the street closed to traffic means they can utilise the disability parking spaces in the laneway behind harbour street, and then use the actual road to get around. The footpath and cobblestone area are unsuitable for many people with disabilities to navigate. Many of these clients have expressed positive feedback about being able to enjoy the precinct with their family and friends during the trial of pedestrianisation on Harbour St.”
There will be opportunities for businesses and the community to provide feedback during and after the trial.
ENDS